Lawn mowers have previously included controls having an electric start feature but such prior structures have been disadvantageous in many respects.
For example, one type of prior starting control is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,308. The control of this patent includes a control lever and a bail, with the bail having a mounting block for connecting to a cable disk which has a slot in which the block is engaged to allow sliding movement of the disk with respect to the bail when the bail is fully depressed to its operating position and to rotate with the movement of the bail when it is being moved to its operating position. The cable is in its "off" position when the bail is released, is in its "on" position when the bail is depressed to its operating position and is pulled to its "start" position when the lever is actuated to slide the disk on its bail mounting block. The release of the bail at any time returns the cable disk to its "off" position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,912 discloses another start control which provides the control structure to move a cable into its desired positions of "off", "on" and "start" responsive to the positions of the bail and a control lever. The bail ensures that the cable moves to its "off" position at any time the bail is released. This patent provides for relative movement of the cable with respect to the cable disk responsive to movement of the lever. This is possible because the connection between the cable and the bail disc includes a lost motion connection and the lever engages the cable separately to move it to the "start" position.
Such mechanisms are complex and subject to problems because of the use of the mechanical cable operation to operate the start switch.
Another device of the prior art has a switch in the handle mounted control. This control includes a cable disk having the cable secured thereto and being rotated by the bail. The cable disk has an exterior shape to engage a switch which is pivotally mounted within the control housing and cam the switch into position so that it can be actuated by a starter button mounted within an opening in the housing. This control has serious disadvantages of flexing the wires leading to and from the switch each time the bail moves and does not provide protection for the wires which are passed through a separate opening in the housing from the sheathed cable and then joined by plastic tape to the protective sheath surrounding the wires and sheathed cable. To avoid premature engagement of the switch it is spring biased to a position which avoids engagement by the starter button.
The prior art devices do not provide a positive mechanical lock to prevent engagement of the start switch in the control housing responsive to the position of the bail. They do not conduct the wiring and sheathed cable into the control housing through a single opening in the housing surrounded by a protective sheath to the opening. Further, such prior devices having a starter button have pivoted the switch wires to render the switch active or inactive.
In prior art controls for starting lawn mower engines, the starting function has normally been controlled by a control lever but some controls have been provided in which the starter circuit is wired through the control and included a starter button extending from the control housing. This has proven to be disadvantageous since it is possible to inadvertently depress the starter button.
Additionally, slack has been provided in the cable control system to accommodate for wear in the control mechanism (such as brake or clutch or a combined brake and clutch control). This slack has normally been accomplished by causing the cable end to have a sliding engagement with the cable control disc.